How we chose
We started from the twenty-two garage door firms Google Maps shows across Telford and its neighbours. Scheme memberships were sourced from the trade registers, each firm's own website and platforms such as Checkatrade [3] [4]. Each business must first meet our basic checks: it is who it says it is, it is trading today and can be reached, and anything it must hold by law is in place — garage door fitting carries no statutory licence, so this check turns on identity and reachability. Ten firms met all three. What customers say counts most — the star rating itself, since beyond a small handful of reviews volume adds nothing — then proof of competence, then trading history and stated cover, then pricing clarity and website detail. All evidence is dated 4 September 2026.
How to hire
Match the firm to the job first. A garage door installer supplies and fits complete doors — up-and-over, roller, sectional or side-hinged — while many also repair springs, cables and motors, or fit a motor to the door you already have. Roller and sectional doors travel straight up inside the garage and suit short driveways, since an up-and-over panel swings out as it opens. Say if the garage joins the house or doubles as a workshop, since insulation then matters more. When you enquire, give the opening width, the door type and what has failed.
Garage door fitting has no statutory register, so your checks run on memberships you can look up. Search the Door and Hardware Federation member search for the business name [1] [3], check findacraftsman.com for Guild of Master Craftsmen members [8], and look it up on the TrustMark register and Checkatrade [9] [4]. Ask what any claimed approval covers, and confirm the name on it matches the business you are hiring. Also search the name at Companies House to confirm a limited firm is live [10].
If your door opens at the push of a button, the paperwork matters most. A powered garage door must arrive with a Declaration of Conformity under the machinery safety rules and a Declaration of Performance under the construction products rules, plus a CE or UKCA label and a user manual — ask for all four before you pay [2]. The installer should also assess your setting — a door opening onto a public path, who uses it, what extra safety devices the spot needs — since minimum compliance alone does not make every fitting safe [2]. If the survey asks no safety questions, treat that as your answer about the firm.
Get two or three itemised written quotes on the same written scope, separating the door, labour, electrics and VAT, since TrustMark advises comparing three quotes before starting work [9]. Each quote should name the door type and manufacturer, finish and insulation, start date, removal of the old door and rubbish, and payment stages — a deposit for ordered parts is normal, while full payment before completion is not. Most firms in this round offer free surveys or quotes, so a firm that charges just to look should explain what the fee covers.
Expect a proper survey before any fixed price: the opening measured, the lintel and frame checked for rot or movement, headroom confirmed for roller and sectional tracks, and the swing path checked for up-and-over panels. A powered door needs a nearby power supply, and any new wiring belongs with a competent electrician and the right certificate for the work — agree who provides that before fitting day. Clear the garage and driveway for the visit, and ask how long you will be without the garage.
On completion, test the door yourself: it should travel smoothly, sit level when closed and reverse on obstruction if powered, with a manual release you can work in a power cut. Take the manuals, both declarations and the guarantee terms in writing with the quote and invoice — you will need them for warranty claims and when you sell [11]. Agree a service interval too, since springs, cables and rollers wear and a yearly check keeps a heavy moving door safe. If anything feels rushed or uncertified, pause the job and ask for the paperwork before you pay.
Pricing
As of autumn 2026, rough fitted ranges run like this: a single steel up-and-over door costs around £895, with most replacements between £895 and £2,500 for the door and £1,245 to £4,000 fitted including labour [4]. Single roller doors average about £1,075 and single sectional doors about £1,000, while a single electric door runs £1,500 to £2,500 [4]. Another current guide averages a replacement near £1,000 fitted, with up-and-over models at the lower end and roller and sectional higher [6].
Repairs cost far less: the average repair of any kind is £80, typically £40 to £120, with spring repairs averaging £75 [5]. A newer UK guide puts spring replacement at £120 to £250, motor replacement at £200 to £400 and remotes or sensors at £20 to £80 [7]. A replacement panel typically costs £200 to £750, while wiring faults sit higher at around £150 to £300 [4] [5].
Size moves the price most, with double doors costing substantially more than singles, then material, with timber dearer than steel, plus insulation, finish and electric operation [4]. Condition and access add up: a rotten frame, a failing lintel, awkward parking or taking the old door away all add labour, with fitting labour alone typically £350 to £650 [4]. Labour rates vary by region, with London and the South East dearer than Telford for the same job [5].
Ask whether VAT sits inside or on top of every figure, since published ranges usually exclude it [5]. Firms in this round publish almost no example rates, so treat any single fixed price for a replacement with no breakdown as a question, not an answer. Get the door specification, labour, removal of the old door, guarantee length and VAT position in writing before parts are ordered, and keep every quote, invoice and certificate together [9].
Red flags
Quotes a full replacement without measuring the opening or examining the frame and lintel.
Cannot name the door manufacturer behind a brand badge claimed on the site.
Fits a powered door and leaves no Declaration of Conformity, Declaration of Performance or manual [2].
Asks for full payment in cash before starting, with no written quote or terms.
Offers to replace a snapped spring sight unseen, with no questions about the door size or type.
Gives one fixed price for a replacement with no breakdown of door, labour and VAT.
Will not put the door specification, price and start date in writing before ordering parts.
Calls safety devices on a powered door optional extras instead of testing them at handover.
The bottom line
For most homes, start with Up & Over Doors: brand-name doors, a free survey and deep banks of five-star reviews on both its listings — use the Shrewsbury or Telford number by postcode. Insurance and prices stay unpublished, so ask for proof of cover and an itemised quote at the survey.
Match the firm to the job instead: Telford Garage Doors for repairs and motors fitted to your existing door, Salop for a fast repair with no call-out fee, Ideal Access for commercial sites, Albro for a showroom visit first.
Then get two or three itemised quotes on the same written scope, and for an electric door check the compliance paperwork before you pay the balance: a Declaration of Conformity, a Declaration of Performance and the manual.
Corrections and business responses
Tell us what needs checking, or ask to claim a listing and reply to an assessment.